Wreaths Across America and MISSION BBQ Kick-off 2026 American Heroes Cup Campaign

MISSION BBQ locations nationwide to donate portion of Heroes Cup sales to support locally interred servicemembers, and their families.

COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine and GLEN BURNIE, Md, Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Wreaths Across America (WAA) and MISSION BBQ announce the national kick-off of the “American Heroes Cup” campaign to raise funds to sponsor veterans’ wreaths to be placed on the headstones of our nation’s heroes during the 2027 National Wreaths Across America Day ceremonies. 

Starting on Thurs., November 12, through the end of 2026, for every American Heroes Cup purchased at any of MISSION BBQ’s 160 locations for $4.99, $2 will be donated to WAA to sponsor veterans’ wreaths for placement in December 2027.

Last year, MISSION BBQ customers raised $359,567 for WAA through its American Heroes Cup campaign, sponsoring the placement of 21,151 veterans’ wreaths in memory of our nation’s servicemembers – these wreaths will be placed by volunteers at 154 participating locations this year on National Wreaths Across America Day – Sat., December 19, 2026.

“Behind every veteran’s wreath is a name, a story, and a family who remembers,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. “Thanks to the continued generosity of MISSION BBQ and its customers, thousands of those stories are honored each December. This partnership is a beautiful reminder that remembrance is something we can all be part of, and that even the simplest acts of gratitude can have a lasting impact.”

Bill Kraus and Steve Newton opened the first MISSION BBQ restaurant in a Baltimore suburb in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. In opening the restaurant, they sought to Serve, Honor and Thank American heroes for their sacrifices and service by donating a significant portion of the restaurant’s profits to the community’s military nonprofit groups and charity organizations that support police officers and firefighters.

“At MISSION BBQ, honoring our nation's heroes is at the heart of everything we do. Through our Heroes Cup Campaign, our customers join us in showing gratitude to the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our freedom. We’re incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with Wreaths Across America and the opportunity to help ensure these heroes are remembered in communities across the country,” said Bill Kraus, co-founder of MISSION BBQ.

Through December 31, 2026, proceeds from the American Heroes Cups will be donated to WAA. Customers are encouraged to bring their American Heroes Cup on return visits to the restaurant to receive refills for $1.49. To find a MISSION BBQ location near you, visit https://mission-bbq.com/locations. 

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About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, which began in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out annually by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, thousands of veterans’ cemeteries, and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.

For more information or to sponsor a wreath, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. 

About MISSION BBQ:
MISSION BBQ opened its doors for business on September 11, 2011. We believe there is nothing more American than BBQ. And nobody is more American than the brave men and women who have sworn to protect and serve Our Communities and Our Country. We do what we do for the love of our soldiers, firefighters, police officers, and first responders—all our loved ones in service. We set across this great land from Texas to Kansas City, the Carolinas to St. Louis...to discover the secrets of great BBQ. Every day, we strive to serve you authentic BBQ made from the freshest, most delectable ingredients and serve it in a patriotic dining room filled with tributes to those who’ve made Our Country great, given to us by the people who earned them. Stop by at lunchtime, and you might catch us during our daily salute to the Stars and Stripes.

For more information about MISSION BBQ: http://mission-bbq.com/ 

Press contacts:
WAA PR Team
Pr@wreathsacrossamerica.org | waa@nardimedia.com

Linda Dotterer
MISSION BBQ
(410) 830-9253; ldotterer@mission-bbq.com

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Attachments

• MISSION BBQ
• American Heroes Cups Are Back!

Amber Caron
Wreaths Across America
2075136457
acaron@wreathsacrossamerica.org